Drowning
by idekineedalife
Summary: "Routine was the only thing keeping Percy going, the only thing keeping any of them going. He didn't know how long they'd been fighting for, then – what seemed all too soon – it was over. Percy could feel himself begin to drown in pain. This couldn't be real, how could he have let something like this happen when he swore to protect his family?"


**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus, all rights to Rick Riordan.**

_**~o~O~o~**_

**I would like to take this moment to apologize in advance.**

_**~o~O~o~**_

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_Duck, slash, stab. Duck, slash, stab. Dodge; repeat. Duck, slash, stab…_ routine was the only thing keeping Percy going, the only thing keeping any of them going. He didn't know how long they'd been fighting for, couldn't even tell how many days had passed them by; all he knew for certain was his routine – and that he was back where he belonged, fighting alongside his girlfriend.

_Duck, slash, stab._ It felt like they'd been fighting forever, then – what seemed all too soon – it was over. Nothing remained of the battle on top of Olympus but the Seven's blood and the golden dust of their fallen enemies.

_Does this mean I can finally go home and attempt to be normal?_

The sight of the blackened battlefield left Percy with a non-existent feeling. What once must have been a beautiful mountaintop forest teeming with life and light was now a cracked scorched field seemingly devoid of any living beings or happiness.

_Where's Annabeth? Where are the others?_

He can feel his heart stop beating as panic seizes him. "_Annabeth?!_ Nico?! Where are you?! _Frank?!_" He spins around searching for his lost friends as a pain filled wail breaks the suffocating silence. He whips around to see the backs of his friends huddled together around something.

"No…"

Percy could feel himself begin to drown in pain. This couldn't be real, how could he have let something like this happen when he swore to protect his family?

He felt unreal, like he'd left his own body. From a stranger's point of view he could hear Hazel's heartbroken screams and see the dark hair of his own head bowed over his little cousin's body.

"Nico…" he choked out.

Percy stumbled forwards, feeling unwanted tears streak his face as he neared the group of demigods.

That's when he started to notice thing's going wrong. Hazel stayed silent, wrapped in Frank's arms, though Percy was positive she was the one screaming. He was dimly aware of Leo holding a sobbing Piper, but he was distracted by the sight of two blondes. Percy knew something wasn't right the moment he saw Jason holding back a hysterical Annabeth. Annabeth shouldn't be reacting like this, she cared for Nico, but not enough to lose it like this.

He knew that sooner or later Percy would have to look at his fallen cousin. He mustered up all the courage he had left and tore his eyes away from Annabeth. He moved his gaze to where he held his old friend.

_Wait, when did my hair get that long?_

It had taken longer than it should have for things to fall into place. _Of course it did, I'm Seaweed Brain aren't I?_

Everything had begun to dawn on him: why Jason had to hold back Annabeth, why tears traced lines through the dirt on everyone else's cheeks, why his body was suddenly so small and Nico had grown so tall.

_But it can't be right because I'm standing right here._

Again, Percy felt himself begin to drown. He peered over the shoulders of his friends one last time to get his first proper view. His little "out-of-body-experience" made sense now. Perseus Jackson peered over the shoulders of his friends one last time – straight into his own lifeless eyes.

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**So this was something I came up with while reading the story "Blue" by_ RememberThatCoolPerson _and it seemed like it would be a cool concept to write (even though it broke my heart).**

**I'm sorry all my stuff has been short but I'm working (a.k.a. procrastinating) on something else and I'm hoping it'll be longer than my usual one-shots. No promises on when it'll be up though because procrastination stinks worse than man-eating horse stables that haven't been cleaned since Gaea was in diapers (do goddess wear diapers? You know what they do now.).**

_**~o~O~o~**_

**Have a good day/night!**


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